05 June 2012

“She’s smarter than me!” That’s what
some younger students scream when they see one of their peers get a better
grade. But, if you listen closely, you’ll hear the collective groan of millions
of young American students scream: “They’re smarter than us!”

The “they” is pretty much everyone
else who doesn’t pledge allegiance to the flag with 13 stripes.

Somewhere between the arguments and
counterarguments of “This is the way education should be,” our quality of
education started declining rapidly. It has been steadily declining since WWII,
and now, it’s beginning to become quite alarming.

When compared to other developed
nations, American students fall in the middle of the pack, according to a study
released by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) in
2009. The NCEE researched and compared education systems around the world,
considering 15-year-old students in 70 countries.

In its Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report,
the NCEE concluded that the United States ranked 14th in reading, 17th
in science and 25th in mathematics, according to the US News & World Report. In Canada,
the average 15-year-old is at least one grade ahead of the average American
15-year old, according to the New York
Times.

But, it gets worse: only about 70
percent of American students graduate from high school, which is well below the
rates in many foreign countries. Only Spain, Mexico, New Zealand and Turkey
have lower graduation rates.

South Korea boosts the highest high
school graduation rate at 96 percent, which has helped the country flourish
into an economic super power. Finland is considered to have the best education
system, mainly because it focuses on hiring and training the
intellectually-gifted to become great teachers.

China, Japan and Singapore are also
considered to have excellent education systems.

The NCEE also recommends that we
should require students to pass certain “gateway” tests at grade levels before
moving on to the next grade. “Gateway tests” are very well-designed,
comprehensive standardized tests in other countries – accurately portraying if
a student is ready for the next grade.

Many schools have some form of gateway test or
they require students to earn certain grades before moving on. But, unlike
other, foreign countries, there is no standardized “gateway test” that all
students must pass.

Many believe our culture is the root
of the problem. American kids do what they want, when they want, because they
want to – and very few step up to tell them what they have to do and what they
should do. Kids have no desire to go to school and succeed; so they don’t.
Perhaps with a tutor we can change this perspective for our kids. Tutoring prices don’t
even have to be a concern because tutors will work with your budget.

Others believe that the lack of
support for teachers causes this problem. In other foreign countries, there is
a certain esteem held for teachers, and they are paid very well – especially in
Finland. But, in America, teachers are not held in high-regard, and it’s often
a profession the intellectually-gifted shy away from.

So, what should the United States do
to fix the educational crisis? For one, we can start by raising our academic standards.
By raising the bar on our standardized testing and declaring the importance of
studying, new windows will be open for the ambition to study, learn and grow
academically. The quality of our teachers is also a huge factor. We are not
valuing our teachers or giving them credit they deserve for the effort they put
into educating students, so in return they do not have the zeal to make known
to students the importance of their education in the big world. Pushing
students to work and stretch their brains will entice them to stretch their
minds and open their eyes to the sort of learning abilities they have.

This guest post article was written and provided by Janice Mitchell
who is a stay at home mother and has homeschooled her children with the help of VarsityTutors.com for over 10 years.